by Lon Shell, Hays County Commissioner, Pct. 3
Public safety and the criminal justice system account for the majority of your tax dollars spent by Hays County. These responsibilities require the collaboration of multiple stakeholders, jurisdictions, county functions and elected offices, in order to be effective and efficient. There is always room for improvement and now more than ever our system needs cooperation and commitment from all of those involved.
Last week the Commissioners Court discussed a grant application to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) for the establishment of a specialized public defender’s office. The proposed grant was first brought to the Commissioners Court by our county judge on May 7. It required court approval for a May 10 deadline. This was the first time this issue had been discussed in court and many of us were uncertain of what tangible solutions the proposal would provide. We were given less than a week to decide.
